Bikanel Sands
by StarlessEyesRemain
Summary: GippalxRikku For fans of A Princess Can Kiss A Toad. Rikku returns to a reconstructed Home after the Gulwings settle down. The past meets the present as the windy sands are stirred to reveal a side of the Machine Faction leader she hasn't seen.
1. Where Past Meets Present

"Home!" She smiled as the sand blew at her feet. The skies were the limit but there was something about the heat and sand that Rikku couldn't get out of her heart, her head, or from under her fingernails. She felt the heat wave on her face when she stepped into the hangar and saw the smiling face of her father. They had never been an affectionate bunch, but even Cid gave his daughter a pat on the head- he had missed her being under foot.

"Welcome back," Cid smiled back with a cigar between his lips.

"You really do have to stop smoking," Rikku quickly commented.

"Is that the kind of 'hello' you give your father!" he rubbed her chin roughly. "I suppose it's better than nothing," he grumbled, still trying to hide his smile. "So do I have to keep waiting or are you going to tell me what you think of the place?"

"Needs work," she tried to hide a giggle, "you know it's better than the last…" a solemn look crept across her face.

"I know," Cid placed a hand on her shoulder, "I miss them too."

One of the few of the touching moments shared between Rikku and her father was quickly brought to a close when a familiar, and rather unwelcome, voice rang in her ears.

"Cid's girl! When did you get back!?" Gippal swiftly applied the pressure of his knuckles to the top of her head.

"Nice to see you too Gippal," she shot back sarcastically readjusting her headband.

"Much to _your_ disappointment, I'm not actually here to see you," he quickly brushed her aside and dove into a conversation with Cid while she stood there completely perturbed.

"No matter…" she muttered to herself as she turned back to the airship, "I'll just carry all my bags," she paused, "by myself!" she barked back only to be ignored. She drug her bags back over to the boys butting into the center of their conversation, "and do I finally get my own place Pop?" she remarked while wearing her best shit-eating grin.

"Even better idea! Rikku can help you!" Cid bellowed.

"What?" both Rikku and Gippal replied, confused.

"Rikku, you're old enough to have your own place, don't you agree?"

"Uh… Wasn't that what I was _just _asking," she grumbled.

"And Gippal, weren't you just explaining to me that you needed an assistant?"

"You're not _actually _suggesting that Rikku be my assistant?! Cid are you out of your mind!?" Gippal protested.

"I'm certainly getting too old for all of this, and it's about time my baby girl started to get her hands dirty, someday this will all be hers, and she does know more about Al Bhed machina than anyone I could recommend for the job. She grew up in the scrap yard just like you."

"You can't be seri-" Gippal tried to interject.

"I'll hear no more on the subject, Rikku will move into the empty unit in the East Wing like my little princess deserves, and that way your new assistant is never too far away," Cid declared as he turned to walk away.

"Pop are you nuts!?" Rikku finally found words, "you honestly expect me to work _under_ that bolt brain!"

"Yes actually, I do," he remarked before leaving the hangar bellowing loudly.

"This is a sick joke!" Rikku barked at Gippal.

"You think I'm happy about this?! I don't want you anywhere near me!"

"You?!"

"Where do you think the empty unit is located neighbor! I can't believe this! I get the brat as an undeserving neighbor!"

"And so I suddenly don't deserve it because I wasn't there to defeat Sin _or _destroy Vegnagun?"

"So you think that just because you helped bring peace to Spira that entitles you to something? Well you've got another thing coming _Princess_! You're not getting any special treatment from me!" He noticed the hurt look in her eyes.

"You know what Gippal? I used to have a lot of respect for you, that day we fought Vegnagun you really stuck it out for someone else other than yourself for _once!_ But you know what I just realized? I'm always going to be just 'Cid's Girl' to you and that you don't deserve an ounce of my respect, even if you are my boss now, because the only thing you've ever given me is skinned knees!" Rikku yelled as she grabbed up all her bags and headed to the East Wing.

Gippal wished he had taken back what he said the second she started scolding him. He didn't know why he did it he was always on the defensive with her. _Why do I say these things? _He wondered to himself. _She does deserve the best, she's Rikku… Always kind and happy, except when I throw a wrench into her mood. _He stood there awhile wondering if he should go after her, if he should apologize, but before he could decide to make the better choice his thoughts were interrupted by one of his workers delivering his report.

"That Gippal!" Rikku huffed as she finally kicked the door shut behind her. "Does he always have to be so rude?" she dropped her bags on the floor and quickly forgot about her argument as she looked around the apartment. The living room was sunken in and newly furnished, the kitchen was beautiful as if it had been waiting for her. She quickly rushed to the bedroom and master bath and found them both equally lavish. "Thank You Cid!" she exclaimed loudly to herself as she turned the faucet to fill the tub.

After her bath she unpacked all her belongings from her clothing to various items from her travels while still clad in a robe. Seashells from Besaid were placed on the dresser, lightening rocks from Djose served as bookends, and then she unpacked picture frames she had purchase in Bevelle.

Rikku carried these frames into the living room and he placed them on the selves after she ran her fingers over the images. The first was one of her sitting on Cid's shoulders when she was a child when the Al Bhed were still scattered across Spira. The second image was when she worked on her father's excavation ship before she joined Yuna on her pilgrimage, she was much smaller then and looked so thin standing next to Gippal and the rest of the crew. She scoffed at the picture but placed it on the shelf regardless. The third was an image of Yuna and all her guardian's in the Calm Lands, she remembered Auron and wonder what he'd think of the young girl all grown up now. The next image was of everyone after the defeat of Vegnagun. And the last was Yuna's _real _wedding where all the girls and guys were lined up on either side of Yuna and Tidus. They couldn't get Paine to smile, but they did manage to get her in a dress, even Khimari was dressed for the occasion in Ronso wedding garbs.

"So many memories," she smiled, "so many good memories." Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Must be Pop," she double-checked the security of her robe before flinging the door open only to find a blonde with an eye patch standing on the other side.

Gippal, who was entirely stunned, stared down at the wet girl and was only able to blurt out, "Your hair is down."

"Yeah," she scoffed, "that would make sense because I just did that thing that dirty people do, you know, bathe." She brushed the wet strands of hair out of her face while combing her fingers through the rest of the nearly waist length hair.

"I mean like, no beads or braids."

"Last time I checked people took things out of their hair to bathe," she hoisted her hand onto her hip. He continued to sit in silence as she leaned against the jamb. "What do you want Gippal?" she finally broke the silence as his eyes darted from the hem of her robe hugging her breast, to the floor, and back to her face.

"I wanted to talk to you about the new project," he lied, he had come to try to apologize as he pushed past her leaving her more than startled.

"Excuse me? I didn't ask you in!" her face grew red.

"I'm still your boss," he turned back in defense, immediately regretting coming to her apartment in the first place.

"You're still my _boss?!_" she barked, causing Gippal to recoil. "In case you haven't noticed I'm not even dressed! So if you are here as my boss I suggest you sit your pompous ass down and respect my space before I either call my father or punch you in the mouth!" she stormed off as Gippal took a seat on the couch and wished he could sink right through the cushion.

Rikku fumed as she tore open her dresser. Rikku threw off her robe and grabbed and pulled on her underwear and bra before she layered a green tank top over a black one before yanking on a pair of torn up pants and clasping several belts around her waist. Rikku burst through her bedroom door and walked back into the living room with her hair tossed about in haste.

"Can I help you now?" she asked, her anger was made apparent by her tone.

"I just wanted to discuss what is expected of you-"

"What's expected of me?!" she barked, "I am now your assistant, and I already know what's expected of me! I am to report to work before dawn because that is when work begins, before the sun is too high to cook our workers. I will be expected to deliver your orders, fix machina, and deliver discipline as needed. I wasn't born yesterday Gippal, I have worked as my own father's assistant in the past."

"You are still my subordinate!" He barked back, but his expression changed as he saw the photograph of the excavation team. Rikku was still fuming regardless of the change in his expression. "Can we not be hostile with each other for two seconds?" he nearly pleaded, and waited for her to nod. He walked over to the shelf and picked up the frame. He ran his fingers over it the same way Rikku had. "Do you remember when this was taken?" he laughed.

"Yeah…" she softened, "so?"

"Look at how small you were!" he looked back only to see her brow furrow, "I was small too you know," he smiled. Rikku was startled, it was rare that she saw Gippal smile. "We had a lot of good times on that ship!" he laughed loudly before his expression became solemn, "I also remember the day you left…"

"What about it?" she shifted her weight to one leg and propped her hand up on her hip.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye. The only reason I could was because I couldn't sleep so I took a walk down by the dock."

"I was going to help Pop stop the summoners from completing their pilgrimages, I knew Yunie was out there, and that I had to stop her, you knew how I felt about that."

"But you also knew how I felt about you!" his resentment was obvious, "and you were just going to leave…" his grip tightened around the frame.

Rikku's stance relaxed, "Gippal…" she didn't know what else to say.

"I get it Rikku, I was just convenient. First that Tidus kid showed up, then Sin attacked, and then you left."

"That wasn't it!"

"Then what was it Rikku? I kissed you, more than once if I recall correctly, and then you planned to leave without saying goodbye. Yevon, I must be drunk or stupid…" he laughed cynically, "I've been thinking of a million ways to ask you for all these years and it finally comes out," he set the photo down and headed for the door, "Report to the work shop before sunrise."

"Gippal wait!" but her shocked words fell on deaf ears as he securely separated himself from her.


	2. The Past is Past

EEP! i forgot my disclaimer, i'm such a bad person!

characters aren't my, just the idea!

Rikku stretched after she shut off the alarm and she rubbed her sleepy eyes. Rikku's mind flashed back to last night after Gippal quietly left.

_She sat there in the silence feeling ashamed. She remembered those nights they shared when they were younger and thought they were in love. She told herself all this time that it was just puppy love. When she heard news from her father that Yuna had picked up where her own father had left off she had no choice but to try to talk some sense into her cousin. It became the one thing on her mind constantly and as soon as the ship made it back to the mainland after the attack on the ship by Sin she planned to find Yuna at any cost. She recalled the conflict she felt leaving, but she knew if anyone was going to be able to talk any sense into Yuna it was going to be her, and her mind flashed back to that moment in time where she was caught between the two people she cared most for. _

"You're leaving aren't you?" Gippal asked as he leaned up against a post in the dark, startling Rikku.

"I'm the only person that can talk sense into Yunie! I have to go!" she argued.

"How long has it even been since you've seen your cousin Rikku? You think she doesn't have friends who haven't already tried? She has Al Bhed blood in her veins, and if she's even remotely related to Cid she's probably just as stubborn! Don't go." he stepped into the moonlight, the young Gippal's blonde hair appeared white in the light. Back then he didn't have the scar to hide.

"Gippal, please don't make me choose between you and Yunie! She's the closest thing I've got to a sister and I can't just let her walk slowly to her death!" Her words stung him, "I'm Al Bhed too you know."

"I know all too well, how do you know that you're not already too late?"

"If I'm too late at least I tried!" she finally approached him so that they were standing inches apart and dropped her bag on the ground, "don't make this harder than it already is… I'll come back, I promise!" Gippal suddenly threw his arms around her and clutched her close, wishing that he could melt into her. She returned the embrace.

"Don't break your promise," he choked out as he walked away back into the night.

_She broke it._

_All that time she spent on the pilgrimage changed her. She suddenly was helping Yuna carry the weight of peace or descruction on her shoulders and things that mattered so much to her slowly slipped away. Constantly fighting fiends, Seymour, and even Yevon itself Gippal no longer occupied her first thought only the stray ones. Even during the invasion of Home she didn't fret because Gippal never stayed long if he ever stayed at all. _

"I have to talk to him…" she muttered to herself as she pulled on her workbooks. Rikku walked out the door and knocked on his door, there of course was no answer. She cursed to herself as she ran down to the workshop where she weeded through sleepy workers to his office. She knocked heavily on the door before she heard a grumbled voice from the other side.

"Here is the current project we are on, I don't mind if you take some time to sit down and read over it, I'd rather have you educated than on the floor and not knowing what you're doing," he handed her a series of blueprints.

"Gippal I need to talk to you," she almost pleaded.

"About what?" he leaned up against his desk.

"About last night."

"There's nothing to talk about Rikku, what is past is past and I've got a machina floor to run," he nonchalantly brushed her off as he walked to the door.

"Gippal I remember what I said to you that night!" she turned to him as he stopped with his hand on the knob, "I broke my promise…" Rikku looked down to see his knuckles turn white from gripping the knob.

"Yeah," he didn't turn back to face her, "what of it?"

"I want to explain!"

"There is nothing to explain Rikku," he voice was solemn.

"Yes there is Gippal! I shouldn't have left you like I did!"

"Stop it Rikku… Just stop it," he hung his head, "we're not going back there again." Gippal once again put a door between himself and Rikku. She felt it in her chest, the physical sting of a door shutting on her heart.

"Why did I have to go there!?" Gippal scoffed to himself, "why did I go to her apartment and say those things! I might as well put my own foot up my ass..." He walked across the floor barking orders at workers while in the back of his mind he remembered the past.

"_Gippal!" Rikku yelled as she waved her arms at him from the top of the sand dune. Gippal trudged through the sand as sweat poured down his face from the desert heat. _

"_Rikku, why did to ask me to come out here! It's hotter than Ifrit out here! Could you please stop running, I have something I want to tell you!ff"_

"_Just look!" she pointed down the dune as Gippal finally reached the top. There was a small oasis that laid untouched by the sand. "I told you it was going to be worth it!" She smiled before she ran down the side of the dune to the waterside as Gippal followed. He dropped the bag she asked him to carry on the warm rocks next to the water where she tore through it and grabbed her swimsuit. "Well don't just stand there!" she barked, "put on your swimsuit!" Rikku ran to the other side of another rock that jutted out of the ground to change her clothes and left Gippal there. Gippal didn't need to be told twice in this blistering heat, he quickly followed her lead. Rikku beat him to the water though and splashed him as soon as he got his trunks up around his waist. _

"_Dammit Rikku!" he cursed, wiping the water of his face._

"_Oh come on Gippal! It's just a little water, which by the way feels great!" she sputtered before she swam under the water. Gippal dropped in and tried to find where she had swam to. _

"_Rikku!" he looked around again, he didn't hear her come up for a breath and the water was cool but dark. "Rikku!" he called again before he finally heard bubbles and turned to see her surface._

"_What!" she groaned, "do you even know how to have fun Gippal?!"_

"_Yes I do know how to have fun! You just scared me that's all…" he quietly admitted._

"_Aww, poor Gippal was worried about me!" she teased._

"_Shut up, whose going to look after you when I leave on the ship next week!"_

"_Me!"_

"_What do you mean you! I'm leaving on the excavation ship next time it docks and you're suddenly going to start looking after yourself?"_

"_Yup!" she smiled. "So what did you have to tell me?" she stared at him with her bright green eyes with her shinning blonde hair plastered to her head, the same eyes he saw in his dreams. _

"_Rikku, I…" as soon as the words left his mouth, she quickly escaped underwater with a laugh. Gippal growled angrily, he had made up his mind to tell her how he felt before he left he couldn't hold it in any longer. He looked around for her in the water again letting out a drawn out sigh. He felt a currant against his leg and turned to watch her surface again._

"_Gotch-" but before the word could fully leave her mouth Gippal covered it with his own. He held her there for several moments before letting her go and pulling away. He couldn't interporait the surprise on her face so he quickly cringed and turned away. Rikku touched her lips trying to register what happened, and watched at Gippal swam away. Gippal made it to the edge of the oasis and crawled out onto the warm rocks swiftly followed by Rikku. "Gippal wait!" he stopped dead in his tracks. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?" she asked quietly._

"_Yeah…" he still didn't want to look at her, what force kept him there he didn't know. _

"_How long?"_

"_Awhile now, I needed it off my chest before I left. I didn't want to sit and wonder," he finally found the courage to look at her, "I had to know…" he sat there a moment in silence before he stood to leave. _

_Rikku's hand shot out and grabbed his, "don't go…" she spoke softly. He stared at her confused as the sixteen year old girl shyly sat in front of him still holding his hand. He stared at her wide eyed as she just sat there with her eyes turned down, never had he seen Rikku act this way, she had always been so full of energy and spark and here she was the one nearly mortified as she held his hand. Gippal watched as she nervously nibbled her lip, not knowing what to say next. He felt so warm inside, and it wasn't because of the sun. Gippal leaned forward and kissed her again as he pulled her up onto her knees so he could hold her against himself. His hands roamed through her wet hair and down her back to her waist as the kisses became deeper and less clumsy. Rikku pulled away to catch her breath while Gippal's eyes were still closed. She pushed him into the water and started to laugh._

"_What was that for!" he barked as he resurfaced. She continued to laugh more before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in. Rikku screamed as she fell in the water and sputtered as she resurfaced. _

"_Gippal!" she barked back getting a taste of her own medicine. Gippal pinned her up against the side of the pool as he wiped his hair out of his eyes._

"_So Cid's girl, you going to be my girl?" he moved in close enough to touch her nose to his._

"_Yeah, I can be your girl," she smiled back before kissing him again._

_She later followed him working on the ship for her father where they spent many days stealing kisses and many nights stealing embraces. _

He sighed to himself, "The past is past Gippal… The past is past…"


	3. Need

Disclaimer: still don't own Rikku or Gippal

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay!

Several months past as the walls of the new sector of Home rose as quickly as did the tempers of the floor leader and his assistant. Things ran smoother than ever for construction, but the constant explosions that took place between their bosses kept their workers running for more to do, because none of them wanted to be caught in the cross fire.

"Rikku! How many times do I have to tell you!?"

"Tell me?! Why don't you tell them! I know what I'm doing!"

"Quit it princess, I don't have time to give you an attitude adjustment!"

"Attitude adjustment?! You're the one that can't stop barking orders you power hungry ogre!"

"Ogre!?" Gippal clenched his fists, "I am your boss!"

"That doesn't mean that you can be an asshole! Maybe people would actually want to work if you learned some damn manners!" she growled before storming off to find parts for a power convertor. The seconds after she left Gippal always felt the worst. This was how every argument ended since that day in the office, shutting the door before it was resolved.

"Power hungry ogre?" Rikku whispered to herself, "Yevon, what were you thinking!"

Gippal watched Rikku as she weaved in and out of machina, jumping in to help a worker replace a piston and then moving through the floor doing such tasks for others. Every argument was a fleeting as the last, as he stared at her in her element he often forgot why he had been angry with her in the first place. The girl was a painter with wrenches and covered with smudges, but even the dirt and grim couldn't stop him from admiring her from afar.

She was so different from back then, her hair was longer and her lean tomboyish body more curvy. The heat kept the workers clothed only as much as necessary and Rikku was the same. She traded in her mini-skirt to avoid bare skin metal burns for pants that remained tear free for little time and tank tops that rode up on her hips.

Rikku drug her wrist across the base of her bandana wiping the sweat from her brow as she finally threw her wrench back into her tool belt, "good work guys, hopefully that's going to be enough to hold for now," she smiled at the men around her as they finished securing beams to a pallet to be lifted to the third floor. Gippal noticed how more light-hearted the men were when Rikku was around, she was like a disease that you wanted to catch. Rikku cringed as the beams were lifted, "looks like I spoke too soon!" She shouted to the worker sitting inside the lift, "Hold it!" Gippal's eyes shot open as he saw the beams groan against their bonds. "I said hold it!" Rikku screamed, but the liftman did not hear her warnings.

Gippal quickly got dashed across the floor as the crane began to buckle under the weight. Workers were quickly trying to throw ropes over the load to assist the crane in redirecting the palette. Men were groaning trying to quickly work pulleys, but the weight was proving to be too much. Gippal quickly grabbed up rope behind Rikku, her pores were pouring out sweat as she gripped the rope.

"Hold on!" Gippal yelled above the chaos.

"I'm trying" Rikku groaned out as the rope tore at her flesh.

The pallet swayed slowly as the crane's supports creaked and bent before the pallet was successfully lowered onto the ground of the second floor. The breath let out by all the workers let out was like the gust of a sandstorm.

"Get that crane to the shop and call it a day boys!" Gippal announced, "You guys deserve the rest of the day off." Gippal turned to Rikku and noticed that she was biting back tears as she clutched her gloveless hands shut. Gippal quickly grabbed her hands with were seeping blood between her fingers. "Where are your gloves?" he quickly sputtered.

"I took them off to tie support knots because they were in the way, I didn't have time to put them back on," she blinked back more tears.

"Rikku…" Gippal whispered.

"Please don't scold me Gippal," she took her hands back and held them close to her chest as she walked towards the infirmary, "I've learned my lesson," she replied solemnly.

"I wasn't going to…" he blinked back his own stinging tears.

Cid burst through the door as Rikku's hands were being treated, the medic had just finished cleaning the torn flesh, and Rikku's nose was red from tears.

"Where is he!" Cid bellowed, "Where is that boy who let my little girl get hurt!"

"Dad…" Rikku sighed, "Please stop overreacting."

"Right here," Gippal replied as he stepped through the door to check up on his assistant. "Go ahead Cid, let me have it," he sighed.

"How could you have been so irresponsible Gippal!" Cid began.

"Dad!" Rikku yelled, "Stop it!" She stared Cid down as he quickly backed down, Rikku had always been kind, but she was not the girl whose bad side you didn't want to be on. "It was an accident, the crane buckled under the weight and because of what we did no one else was killed, or hurt!" she barked, "Gippal was right down there with us, and I won't have you yelling at him!" Cid remained silent.

"Let me know if you need anything…" he finally muttered as he walked out the door.

"Stubborn old man!" she yelled after Cid.

"Thank you for that…" Gippal smiled as he turned to her.

"It wasn't your fault, we thought the crane could take the weight," Rikku cringed again as the medic began applying the bandages.

"She going to be okay doc?" Gippal asked.

"I want her to stay off the machina floor until her hands heal, but she'll be just fine."

"What!?" Rikku protested, "no," she immediately disagreed.

"Rikku, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to agree with the doc here," he sighed waiting for the imminent tantrum, her face had already begun to glow red as the doctor finished and left. "I hate to take you off the floor, but your hands won't heal if I keep you there. I want you to take a few days off so we can get you back sooner, I need you."

"…You need me?" she remarked with a confused look on her face.

"Are you dense? Yeah I need you!" he ran his frustrated fingers through his hair, "you're impossible and yet I couldn't ask for a better assistant if I had designed the schematics myself."

"You don't mean that," she laughed.

"Yes I do," his face was completely serious as he approached her, he took her face into one of his hands, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "I…" he paused and then scoffed, "it doesn't matter" he dropped his hands. "Take the week off Rikku," he turned to leave, "report back to my office after you see the doctor again," he muttered as he left.

Rikku placed her fingers against her cheek, "I need you too…" she whispered.


	4. Memories

Disclaimer: Rikku and Gippal as always belong to to square but the other imaginative figments are of my conjuring :)

Author's note: Another chapter is in the works! I promise! It will not take me as long to update :D

"Dammit!" she cursed, as the glass Rikku fumbled with shattered on the floor. She slid to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest, frustrated by her bandaged hands. A knock sounded at the door as she wiped away her angry tears and barked, "Its open!"

Gippal appeared in her kitchen and stared down at the broken glass and smiled, "looks like trouble paid a visit."

"Shut up!" Rikku barked as she wiped her angry tears on the back of her bandages, "no one asked you!"

"Come on Rikku, I came to see how you were doing, come here…" he helped her onto her feet and pulled her to his chest. "Watch your feet alright?" he wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up as he carried her out of the kitchen, placing her on the soft carpet.

Rikku's blush left her cheeks as quickly as Gippal's heat left her body, she frowned and then grumbled, "You didn't have to do that you know…"

Gippal had began to sweep the broken glass shards into a dustpan when he looked up at her and in a voice laced with sarcasm said, "you know a thank you would have sufficed." An exasperated sigh left his lips as he went back to sweeping.

Rikku stood there watching him, bent over on her kitchen floor and couldn't understand why she acted so coldly towards him, and for the first time in her life Rikku swallowed her pride.

"I'm sorry Gippal, it's just that's the second dish I've broken in three days. You don't realize how much you miss your fingers till they've been slashed to ribbons…"

Gippal stopped mid-sweep, "wait… Did you just say, what I think you said?"

"Yeah Gippal, I really just apologized, and guess what else? I'm going to thank you for stopping by," she shyly added as she pawed at her bandages.

"What's wrong?" he finished sweeping and discarded the shards into the trash.

"My hands itch," she frowned down at her mitten-like hands.

"Here," he led her over to the couch as he pulled a roll of clean bandages from his pocket, "I got these from the doctor, and you have been keeping up with changing these right?"

"You know, this whole being nice to Gippal thing is going to end really fast if you keep talking to me like that…" she glared at him.

"I'm sorry!" he stared at her for a moment as he held her bandaged hands in his, "… I just worry," he admitted as he quickly looked away.

"Now look who's apologizing," she laughed before she let out a hiss and a cringe.

"Sorry…" Gippal remarked again as he peeled the old bandage from her fingers. He stared down at her un-bandaged hands where the deeper cuts were still visible on her tiny hands. So many times he had felt the smooth skin of her fingertips, so many times he had kissed her palms and felt the softness against his lips, and now he bit back a silent scream because he hadn't watched close enough to protect the soft skin that was there.

And then there he was, caught in a memory. In the months they spent on the excavation ship as members of Rikku's brother's crew they had stolen touches, kisses, and so much more.

Gippal waited for her in their usual place, below deck and the entirely opposite end of the ship of both of their quarters. She was late, and he was fighting the urge to tap his feet or fingers against a nearby surface. He finally heard her light footsteps that were obviously trying not to sound rushed, but were.

"Sorry I'm-" he quickly cut off her apology with his lips.

"Took you long enough," he whispered as he pulled away for a moment only to cover her mouth again. Her hands were already unlacing the top of his shirt so she could run her hands along his neck and over his shoulders. He stopped her mid-unlace as he pulled the ties of her gloves with his teeth before pulling them off as he kissed her wrist and palm.

That was what brought him back, her wrists and palms.

"I was trying not to be obvious," she sighed, loving the feeling of his warm lips that always sought her bare skin.

He finished pulling off the first glove and started on the second in the same manner, keeping her prisoner within his grasp. She fought against it, tired of his teasing gestures. He got the picture and gave her what she wanted, kissing her roughly again only to quickly pull away. She whined as he pulled away, growing frustrated with his games.

"Now, if you can resist me for more than five seconds I have a surprise for you," he teased.

"Gah! Gippal, I can too resist you, _and_ for more than five seconds!" she growled, "its you who can't resist me…"

"Well, in my defense I do have to watch my girl prance around in a skin-tight excavation suit all day and then sneak around behind her brother's back to even be allowed to be remotely close to her," he kissed her again playfully.

"Alright, what's the surprise?" she asked.

"Now who's eager," he smiled as he watched her face turn red, she was boiling. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing…" he reached into his pocket, "close your eyes first."

"Fine…" she rolled her eyes before she closed them.

"Alright," he held out his hand, "you can open them now." Rikku opened her eyes and stared down at his hand where a bright green stone dangled from a short silver chain.

"Where did you get this?" she gasped.

"I found it a few weeks ago in a shipwreck; it took me a long time to clean it because it's so small. You like it?" he asked, so unsure of himself.

"Like it? Gippal it's absolutely beautiful! You cleaned this?" she marveled at it.

"And repaired it, it was pretty beat up… But when I saw it glittering in the light it reminded me so much of your eyes that I had to find a way to fix it…"

"Well?" she put her hand on her hip, "are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me put it on?"

"Y-yeah, of course" he smiled awkwardly as she turned and brushed away her hair so he could fasten it.

"You're sweet, you know that?" she reminded him over her shoulder.

"Sweet eh?" he laughed before he pinned her against the wall with her back to his chest, "am I sweet now?" he asked before his lips caressed her skin lightly.

"Alright, I take it back," she broke his hold and turned around before tracing her fingers over the outline of his collar, "I know how much you hate it when I call you that." Her other hand played with the new necklace around her neck absently as it twinkled lightly in the dim light.

"Still doesn't do them justice," she looked at him confused, "your eyes," he smiled.

"Now how can I not call you sweet when you say things like that!" she argued.

"I'll stop saying them, if you keep making such a big deal out of them," he teased.

"Oh just shut up and kiss me," she growled as she grabbed his collar and pulled him down to her.

He ran his hands over the skin-tight suit, imaging how her skin would feel underneath it; his adolescent mind was racing being in such close proximity to her. His tongued delved inside her mouth between hot gasps for air and grasping at her hips and thighs. Rikku released his collar and reached for her own where she began to pull down the zipper on the front of her suit. He stared down at the stone in the hollow of her throat before he followed the path of the zipper as the fabric pulled apart at her breasts. She stopped as he followed the line of flesh back to her face, to the stone, and back to her face.

"I'll never take it off," she whispered.

"I know," he smiled softly as he ran his hands over her bare collar bone.

"Gippal?" Earth to Gippal, Hellooooo?" Rikku was still sitting, palms up.

"Hmm, what?" Gippal finally snapped back to reality where her hands were wounded and not the smooth silk of his memories.

"Did you go away to La La Land for a minute?" she asked.

"Yeah, something like that…" he muttered as he started wrapping her hands back up. "There, they shouldn't itch as much now with a clean bandage."

"Don't act like something isn't wrong, I believe I still know you well enough to know when something's up," she raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's really nothing Rikku," he ran his fingers angrily through his hair before leaning back away from her on the couch.

"Gippal…" she reached for his hand and held it between her bandaged ones, "It's me, Rikku, you can talk to me!"

He pulled his hand away and stood up, "it's nothing Rikku, really."

"I don't believe you," she glared.

"I'll check up on you again in a few days," he headed for the door, "the boys miss you on the floor, they keep asking about you," he almost said in a growl before he reached the door.

"You would come to me if something was really wrong, right Gippal?" she stood hopefully in the kitchen.

"Sure…" he mumbled before shutting the door behind him.


	5. That Day 3 Year Ago

Disclaimer: Still don't belong to meeee

Author's Note: So yeah, I know, I'm basically a terrible person! I swear I thought I had already posted this chapter, really! So I guess the only thing left to say is... THE WAIT IT OVER!

Rikku stretched her arms sleepily above her head as she sat up with darkness around her, and rubbed her eyes.

"I was kinda getting used to the time off," she grumbled after turning on the light and she squinted feeling it's burning glow. She pulled her hair out of her eyes and secured it with a hair tie, and then wrapped her bandanna in it's rightful and snug place. She was heading back to work today after being away for the last week for her hands to heal, and it had turned mostly to callouses.

She strode down the hallway towards the machina floor stopping just before she rounded the corned to the open aired floor to peer just around the corner. There stood Gippal leaning over a table at the front of the floor, where copies of the blueprints were made available to the workers.

"With the skeleton entirely up we can finally start on wiring on the ground floor and work our way up, and once the wiring is finished on the ground floor I will specify a part of the crew to start with the drywall so we can start getting families moved into this sector," he explained while pointing at the general layout.

"Yeah, things are starting to get a little cramped with all of the Al Bhed flocking back, on account of all the Youth League and New Yevon finally working together," the older worker laughed, "I'm getting too old to be keeping up with all these young kids, not that I'm not happy for the Al Bhed finally getting back together!"

Gippal smiled, "There's always work to be done! But I'm glad we're finally going to be getting this place back together, it's been too long."

These were her stolen moments, watching his commanding strength.

"Look who's back!" one of the younger workers slapper her on the back giving away her position, "How you feeling Rikku!"

"Good," she strained a smile. Gippal quickly turned around and stared at her smugly smiling.

"Welcome back, I need to see you in the office and discuss some things with you," he waved his hand passively.

"All work and no play makes Gippal a dull boy," she teased.

"Get serious Rikku," he glared and he motioned her to follow him.

"Sir, yes sir…" she mumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"You take it easy today Rikku," he remarked as they entered the office.

"Yeah I know, I know," she rolled her eyes, "You know the doctor _did _say that I could come back today," she put her hand on her hip.

"Yeah I know Rikku, she called me directly after she saw you to let me know, but that doesn't mean that you can over do it either," he glared.

"Alright Gippal, I promise I won't over do it," she remarked as she leaned against the edge of the desk. "So what else did you need to talk to me about?"

"You father called me last night, and asked me to make a supply run," he took a seat at his desk as he stared at her, she was still facing away from him. He stared at the way her grease stained top hugged her curves and where her dimples peeked out at the top of her jeans, and for that moment he remembered what it was like to touch her the way he used to. Her body simply didn't compare to the way it matured now.

"Why would he do something like that? Brother takes care of all the supply runs."

"That's what I said," he still followed the flow of her body with his good eye, "But Brother apparently took the Celcius this morning out to Gagazette for some ore, and he's going to be hung up for a few days, so he wants to send me to Bevelle."

"So do we get some time off or what?" she looked over her shoulder, luckily Gippal had followed the curve of her spine to the base of her neck by then, otherwise he didn't know how he would explain why he was staring at the swell of her ass.

"No, I'm leaving you in charge of the crew while I'm gone."

"Okay," she smiled.

"You're okay with that? I mean if you need some more time then I can always ask Cid."

"I got it Gippal, when are you calling a meeting to tell everyone?" she shuffled from leaning to sitting on his desk, unaware that it made the fabric of her jeans strain around her form.

"After I told you, I didn't want you feeling ambushed."

"Thanks," she smiled, "I appreciate that, it's kinda like you're actually treating me as your equal!" she teased with a playful punch.

"Just because you're back, don't expect any special treatment princess!" he stood up messing up her hair as he passed by, "Now get out of my office and get back to work," he playfully scowled back.

"Alright, alright!" Rikku rolled her eyes as she left the room, "You didn't have to be a jerk about it," she shot him back one last quick smile before exiting the office.

He inwardly groaned as he just walked away. Things were getting too hard being this close to her all the time, standing and staring at her, watching each teasing sweat drop roll between her breasts, fantasizing about how it would feel to pin her where she stood and lick every inch of her skin. He couldn't lie about carrying a torch for her anymore to himself, and it wasn't just a torch it was a consuming flame.

Rikku had felt his burning gaze on her, she always felt so naked when he looked at her, so alive. She would have let him sit there all day and stare at her, in fact she would have preferred it, but inside it tore her apart to no end. He was different now, he wasn't her Gippal anymore, he had already made it obvious that he wasn't going back to that again. _To us again…_

Gippal's voice sounded over the P.A. system, "Will all personnel please report to the conference room, thank you…" he drawled.

All the employees filed into began to file into the conference room, all of them mumbling to one another.

He rubbed his temples while the rest of the employees flooded into the room. "Alright everyone, now that I've got you all in one place where I can actually hear myself think, I have to leave for a few days and I'm leaving Rikku in charge. I have to go to Bevelle for supplies and Brother is already out with the Celcius at Mt. Gagazette, so I have to go in his place." Grumbles could be heard throughout the room, mostly cheerful with the prospect of Rikku being in charge. Gippal saw Rikku already boiling.

"Listen up!" she quickly all had their attention, "Don't think just because Gippal isn't going to be around, that work isn't getting done! We're still on a schedule so no slacking off!" she barked. "I expect you all here bright and early! Anyone who is late tomorrow morning will be written up, by me, personally!" She turned and stormed off.

Everyone funneled out shortly after and Gippal went looking for Rikku. He found her sitting just outside the machina shop with her eyes closed relishing the feel of the warm desert wind.

"What's going on Rikku," he leaned on the wall next to her.

"I'm just tired of being looked at like a kid! I'm not always the fun one you know," she looked up at him, "I'm tired of people not taking me seriously! I'm a grown woman now!" He of all people realized just how much of a woman she'd grown into, the fuller breasts, the sensuous hips, as well as the way they swayed.

"Look Rikku," he brushed a renegade hair out of her eyes, "you think I would've left the machina floor in your care if I felt like you couldn't handle it?"

She stood there silent for a moment, looking away, "no…" she muttered.

"Right, so kick some ass like I know you can."

"Thanks Gippal…" she smiled at him taking his hand in hers.

"Here I got these for you," he handed her a small bundle.

"What is it?" she took the small package.

"Well, if you open it, you will find out," he crossed his arms over his cheat.

She peeled off the brown paper and found two small leather gloves and quickly pulled them on, "you didn't have to," but she couldn't help smiling.

"Well your last pair was too big, so I thought I'd order you a nice pair so we wouldn't have any repeats of last week. They're fitted so you can ever wear them when working on motors," he smiled back.

"I'll never take them off," she laughed. His face suddenly became stone where there should have been a smile, "Gippal what's wrong?" she asked.

"Yeah you will Rikku, just like last time," he turned away from her.

"Gippal, what are you talking about?" she reached for his hand.

"Leave it alone Rikku," he brushed her off.

"Stop it Gippal! Stop telling me to leave it alone, what is the matter with you! Why have you been so distant lately!?"

"For the same old reasons Rikku. What else would be the matter with me!? Think about it!"

She realized what he meant now, he meant the what lay inside the small box hidden away in her side table drawer. The small box where she kept all the things she had accumulated over their relationship, from the pressed flowers to the sparkling stone necklace. She found herself touching the ghost of where the necklace used to lay suddenly feeling very stupid.

"You're right," she laughed without humor, "What was I thinking…?" She pushed past him on her way back in, he realized the weight his words had taken the second he saw her face and immediately regretted it.

"Rikku, wait!" he grabbed her wrist and she quickly tore it away.

"Wait for what Gippal? Wait for you to realize what this is? That I'm just some _thing_ for you to push down just like when we were kids? I'm not that girl anymore Gippal! I'm not that girl from the docks anymore, I'm different, I'm changed, and either you decide to do something about it or deal with it! Because I'm not going to stick around to be your patsy just because it makes you feel better about 3 years ago!"

"You're not a _thing!_ You never were…"

"Alright then Gippal, what am I?" she placed her hands on her hips.

"You're…" but the words escaped him, after all this time he still turned her into that boy that day at the oasis.

"I'm done waiting Gippal," she shook her head, "because you're never going to say it." Rikku turned and walked away, and Gippal didn't stop her.

Gippal closed his eyes and leaned against the outer wall trying to remember better days, but there were no better days to remember, she had walked away from him like she had that day 3 years ago.

Author's Note 2: Mucho Love 3


	6. Running from the Past

Disclaimer: same song different course!

Author's Note: I know, I know, I'm a terrible person keeping updates so few and far between, but I swear the next chapter IS done so I will post it in a few days!

The next few days were tense, Rikku smiled less and yelled more. She was serious about her threats, and they learned that very quickly. One write up was all it took to keep the soldiers in line, and she spent the majority of the day in the office with blue prints.

"Hey Rikku," a young worker popped his head into her office.

"Yeah, what's up?" she looked up at him.

"Nothing, just checking up to see how you were doing, you've seemed really stressed out and I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help," he smiled at her.

"Thanks, but I think I've got it covered," she returned the smile meekly.

"Well, if you need anything just let me know," after that he left the office.

Rikku sighed, "this is the last thing I need!" she had just realized what time it was.

She called Gippal on the telesphere for her daily report, which she always kept short and blunt. The past couple days he tried to talk to her, to reach her, but with a telesphere between them she would just hang up, and not answer if he called back, as far as she was concerned if he knew everything was fine there was nothing else to talk about.

The past few nights Gippal had spent in Bevelle were frustrating. He had dealt with shipment hold ups that were keeping him there longer than needed, and then there was Rikku with her cold remarks occupying all his stray thoughts, that wasn't Rikku, Rikku wasn't cold. The nights were filled with dreams of her smile, of her melting into him. He'd wake sweaty and hard, and thankful there was enough cold water in the shower to solve both problems.

"I can't keep doing this," he groaned with his face in his hands, "why is it so hard to say!" He felt the aparition of her in his dreams, every ghostly touch, every beckoning whisper that asked him to follow her. He'd close his eyes and see her lying there beneath him with her lips parted chanting his name like it was the Hymn of Spira. He'd see every rolling sweat drop, feel every tremble and quake, the twisted sheets, and the humid saturated air. "I've got to tell her…" he breathed as he looked at the clock, but for now he needed sleep.

The days that Gippal were gone left Rikku a lot of time to think, to wondering if Home was really where she was meant to be. What she had said to Gippal was true, she had changed, and even though she loved the sand, the sun, and heat maybe it just wasn't where she was suppose to be, at least not right now. That day three years ago turned her into a tumbleweed in the wind, slowly moving along the landscape to unknown destinations. That was what she was, she was like the wind, and she was never meant to stay in one place too long.

Rikku picked up the telesphere, and mentally prepared herself for this call, it wasn't easy being casual with Gippal after what happened, but she didn't have a choice. He was still her boss.

"Yeah?" Gippal groaned as he rolled over in bed, the sun shinning through the windows was in his eyes.

"You'll be back no later than tomorrow right?" she asked.

"Yeah I finally got the confirmation on that shipment, I'll be back home tonight," he rubbed his tired eyes before reaching over to the nightstand to pull his eye patch over his face. "You okay Rikku?"

"Yeah Gippal, everything is fine, we've finished the wiring on the ground floor and we're starting with the drywall today."

"You split the crew up between the two jobs so we can keep things moving?"

"Yeah Gippal, everything is running smoothly I promise," he cloud almost hear the smile in her voice.

"Rikku, there's something I need to say," he forced out quickly.

"Gippal I'm really busy right now, can it wait?"

"Yeah, Rikku it can wait," he sighed, "I'll see you tonight," he hung up after that and she shut down her telesphere as well.

"Not if I'm not here to see…" she blinked back her tears. She had made her choice, and she had to be gone before he could see her go.

The work day ended as she smiled her silent goodbyes to her workers, they wouldn't know either, they couldn't. That was the thing that Rikku could never stomach, saying goodbye. She returned to her apartment and began packing up her things. She'd go stay with Yuna for awhile, or maybe she'd go to Besaid and visit Lulu and Wakka for awhile.

"It doesn't matter where I go," she whispered, "As long as it isn't here."

Rikku had checked the hangar before she had headed back to her apartment, a small merchant vessel was scheduled to leave later that evening. After she had offered the merchant a small amount of money, he didn't really care what her purpose was for leaving, or where she was going.

She left the pictures where they sat, the majority of her things could wait till she either took up more permanent residents somewhere else or till someday when she could finally return free of heartache. She'd leave a message for her father on the way out, but then she reached the bedside table, where she kept everything that was most dear to her. There she found the necklace Gippal had given her, and took it out of the small box where she kept it. She turned over the glimmering stone in her hands and then clutched it to her heart before she quickly ran to the kitchen to scribble down a note.

"I can't leave without one goodbye…" she whispered to herself, she couldn't forgive herself if she left him like that again, without little explanation.

She ran next door, kissed, and slid the envelope under his door. _It'll give me enough time_… she thought, _my last parting gift._ Rikku found it a lot harder to turn away from his door than she thought it would be, but with a heavy heart she went back to her apartment and waited for the merchant to come get her.

Gippal arrived earlier than he expected, mostly because he could be rather reckless at the pilot seat of an airship. The only thing on his mind was to rush directly to Rikku's apartment to tell her what he had so long buried and refused to say.

He stepped up to her door and started banging on it, "Rikku!" he called, "it's me, open the door!"

She had gotten up when she heard the knock but stopped dead in her tracks when she heard his voice.

"Come on," she could hear him growling through his teeth on the other side, "Please be awake…"

She held her breath as she heard a heavy sigh as he opened and closed the door to his own apartment. That's when she grabbed up her bags and quietly slid out the door, she wasn't waiting for the merchant anymore.

Once she was clear of the hall she started sprinting for the hangar, and she didn't care who she bumped into on the way.

"Hey!" the merchant called when she finally made it to the hangar, "I was just about to come up and get you!"

"Just pull up the landing gear and lets get this thing off the ground!" she yelled nearly out of breath.

"Alright, alright! You really are Cid's girl," the merchant laughed, and all Rikku wanted to do was cry.

Gippal stepped into his apartment with heavy boots when he heard a crinkle as he stepped onto the landing.

"What's this?" he asked aloud, as he picked up the envelope. He turned it over in his hands before tearing it open, unaware of it's contents.

_This is my formal resignation from the position of assistant director of construction._

_Gippal… By the time you read this, I'll already be gone. I couldn't leave you like I did last time with barely an explanation. There are so many things that I could say, so many thoughts I wanted to share. But I'm not waiting forever for you to realize what we could have been, and I can't bear being around you anymore, living only in stolen moments – even if they are just arguments. It's like being only half a person, and you know as well as I do that the two of us can't live like that anymore. I hope someday you can forgive me for the things I did and that I can come back to Home and live as we once did, as friends. I'll love you always Gippal, but I can't live with only half a heart anymore._

At the bottom she had scrawled her name, punctuated with bleeding ink, a single tear drop of her sadness.

*tear*


	7. Final Words

Disclaimer: same same!

Author's Note: This is my Holiday Gift to you!

The Big Finale!

"No!" he cried as he turned back to the door nearly knocking it down as he pushed through it, and abusing his privileges of director of construction and using his master key to get into her place. When he stepped inside the entire place had been torn apart, and when he walked into her bedroom entire drawers had been pulled out of the dresser. There on the floor were old photographs that even he hadn't seen in a long time, the very rare occasions they had been alone together long enough.

Something inside him snapped as he ran to the only place he could think of, the hangar. Maybe someone could tell him where she went. No one had to be told to move out of the way, they could hear his anger in his footsteps, and he was rushing around like his boots were made of solid iron.

Rikku sat inside the small merchant vessel as she watched her things being loaded into the underbelly of the ship. She tapped her feet anxiously as she watched the hatch shut, _How long is this going to take!?_ Her mind was barking.

"Ready to shove off?" the friendly merchant poked his head into the passenger bay as he headed towards the cockpit, "I'm taking you as far as Bevelle right?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "I'm staying with my cousin for awhile, now can we please just get moving?!" she glared.

Without another word of argument he stepped into the cockpit and fired up the engine. Rikku closed her eyes as relief washed over her; she was going to make it out. The vessel was old and the engine took awhile to warm up, but freedom was just inches away. She listened as the merchant radioed to the hangar floor to release his landing gear locks, which meant that they were moments away from take off.

Gippal marched into the hangar as he heard an airship engine fire up, quickly dashing over to the command board.

"Who is on that airship!?" he yelled above the roar of the noise.

"It's just a merchant, taking off to peddle his wares, why?!" Gippal could hear the mumble of the headset, "Alright, releasing landing locks," the man at the command center replied as he released the lever.

Rikku took one last look at the hangar as she leaned over from where she was sitting, and it was all it took for Gippal to catch a glimpse of her golden hair.

Gippal threw the lever back into the lock position as he snatched the headset from the man at the board.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" the man barked.

"Shut up, and get the hell away from _my _command board!" Gippal pushed the man easily aside before approaching the bay. The merchant was already cussing into Gippal's headset before he had left the command board, and had already dropped the hatch and was cussing at him within earshot.

"And just what the fuck do you think you're trying to do, scuttle my ship!? Do you know what damage you might have just caused!?"

Gippal simply grabbed him by the collar and shoved him aside as he marched up inside the small rig.

Rikku had already jumped out of her seat to ask what was up, when she met Gippal's form blocking her only entry and exit. He didn't say anything to her, but simply wrapped his arm around her waist and scooped her up like a small child by throwing her over his shoulder.

"Gippal! You better put me down this instant! I swear to Yevon that I will kill you, and then go all the way to the farplane to kill you again!" she kicked and screamed.

"Unload her things from storage hatch and then you can leave," he glared at the merchant as he shoved the headset back at the man who had them before he yanked them off his head.

"You are not the boss of me! Put me down!" she yelled some more, but he continued to ignore her. Gippal glared at everyone giving him an alarmed stare as Rikku screamed all the way through Home while leaving Gippal with a few bruises he wouldn't feel till tomorrow morning, right now he didn't feel anything.

They made it back to his apartment which had been left unlocked in his haste to leave where he finally chucked her down onto the couch, her voice was slightly hoarse and she had finally stopped screaming. Rikku looked and felt like a small child who just got caught red handed with her hand in the cookie jar.

Gippal took the crumpled up note in his pocket and threw it at her, "What the fuck is this?" she didn't respond, just looked away. "What the fuck is it Rikku!?"

"A note…" she finally managed to squeak out.

"No shit it's a note! You want to explain some things to me?!" he barked. He seemed so much bigger now that he was angry; this unbridled rage was something she had never seen in him before.

"I just thought that it'd be for the best…" she said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"You thought what would be for the best?" he was going to make her say it all before he was done yelling.

"I thought it would be better if I just left! I thought I'd stop hurting you if I just wasn't around!" she tucked her knees up to her chest.

"When are you going to get it through that blonde head of yours!" he yanked her up from the couch and against his chest, "I don't want you anywhere except around! You're always going on about how I can't say it, but you can't either!" She finally stared up into his eyes, "I broke several air traffic rules to come here to finally say it and I find you running away… You know how much it took for me to do that after what happened!?" She never thought she'd see him so angry, and so vulnerable.

"Gippal… I--" she tried to open her mouth.

"Shut up!" he spat, "I'm not finished! You're the one I want to wake up next to every morning, argue with every day, and make love to every night!" he tightened his grip around her waist, "and I'll be damned if I let you go again." He didn't wait for a response as he took her face into his hands and pressed his lips onto hers. She quickly yielded to his touch as he started pushing her back towards his bedroom.

"Don't I get a say in this?" she mumbled between deep mouth kisses.

"Only if you're telling me you want to be on top," he quickly cut her off again before hoisting her legs up around his waist and closing the door behind them.

By the time the two of them hit the sheets Gippal had lost his shirt along with his eye patch in the tussle, and Rikku's top was also somewhere lost among the rest of Gippal's dirty laundry.

"Wait…" he stopped her wandering hands before taking them in his, "I want to hear you say it first," he stared down at her, her face glowing in the moonlight.

"I want to deal with hogging the blankets every morning, your bad attitude every day, and you misogynist nature every night," she smiled before he kissed her again.

"That's what I thought," he mumbled against her lips.

He made quick work of her bra, carelessly tossing it aside while she fumbled with the steel buckle of his belt. Once the offensive piece of leather was removed she unbuttoned his pants and didn't even bother with the rest before reaching her hand into their depths. Gippal groaned, forgetting how good her small tiny fingers felt, and how quickly they always went to teasing work. Rikku smirked as he moaned against her mouth, after all these years his body still responded the same way as she traced her fingers along the hard flesh.

"Not so fast," he growled as he pulled away from her lips and seizing her wrist, "I've got a lot of pent up sexual frustration and I won't have you having your way until I've had mine," he stared down at her before bending down to take a long tentative lick of her nipple. "Delicious," her murmured earning a shiver from her, "just as delicious as I remember," he smiled closing his eyes remembering far off memories.

"I don't think now is the time to reminisce in thought, I'd much prefer you reminisce in touch," she sighed. He smirked before continuing to kiss down the planes of her body, every inch of her arching to meet his hungry mouth. He nearly tore her pants from her body leaving her clad only in her panties. He relished the feeling of her skin beneath his fingertips and took his time teasing the edges of the last piece of cloth with his lips.

Rikku enjoyed this feeling, Gippal may have been brash by nature but he always took his time enjoying the things he deemed decadent. But as much as he enjoyed touching her, she wanted to touch him too. She sat up onto her knees pulling him with her, before running her fingertips over the sharp cut planes of his chest, over the scars.

"Enjoying the improvements?" he smirked, the last time they were like this they were so much younger, and he was so much thinner.

"Well…" she drawled teasing him with her silence, not giving him the praise he so wanted to here, "it's alright," she teased as she looked up at him.

"What was that?" he said as he too ran his fingers over her body, taking the opportunity to flick his thumb over her hard nipple.

She took a deep breath in, "yeah," she sighed opening her eyes, "I am enjoying them." They were the last words she spoke before lowering her lips to his flesh, kissing and lick at his shoulders and neck while her hands ran over the rest of him before hooking her fingers inside his beltline. His head rolled back as he sighed, loving the rough feeling of her small tongue on his flesh as he rolled her nipples between his fingers between cupping her breasts roughly. She scratched her fingernails lightly where they laid before unbuttoning his pants before she slid them off his hips with his snug fitted underwear.

"Well that's not too fair now is it?" he let out a small chuckle as he felt the cool air of his apartment against his now exposed erection. He reached down to make quick work of her panties but his hands were quickly slapped away. "Must you always be in control?" he shot her a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," she smiled up at him, taking his hand and kissing his fingertips. He reached for the tie that kept her hair back, snapping it easily, and yanking the bandana off her head, letting the blonde hair fall down around her shoulders, some covering her breasts. He ran his fingers through the soft strands from root to ends. He leaned down and kissed along her jaw line.

"I've missed this," he whispered in her ear before kissing below her ear and down her neck, pulling her flush against him, so her warm breasts were pressed against his chest. He took her down onto the sheets, kicking what was left of his pants off and taking the liberty of removing the last of her garments as well.

"I swear to Spira, if you ever leave me again…" he started before Rikku silenced him with her lips.

"I won't break my promise ever again." She pulled him down to her roughly, seeking his mouth with hers, parting her lips for his tongue.

He nestled himself between her thighs as he grasped her hips before penetrating her flesh with his as he let out a gasp that easily covered Rikku's cries. It had been so long, so long since he felt her like this, every inch of her warmth enveloping him like it belonged there. She fisted her hands into his hair as he nipped at the flesh of her neck and shoulders as he drove himself into her in a sporadic rhythm; he barely had enough self-control to keep himself together let alone to keep a steady pace. Rikku's moans of pleasure weren't helping, only driving him closer and closer to the edge of oblivion.

She arched her back, pressing herself against him, rocking her hips against him. Rikku understood all too well how this felt, it was like they were young teenagers again as their bodies remembered what it was like to be with each other, to move with each other.

He kept thrusting deeper and deeper as Rikku's body suddenly stiffened and as his name left her lips in a small whisper before her voice suddenly became unable to escape her throat. He stared at her in rapture, still moving, her hair sprawled out across the pillows, her eyes squeezed shut, arching and her mouth gaping. He had been so close this whole time and the moment he felt her walls clenching his flesh he watched for her lips to relax as he capture them in one last kissing, driving his lustful growl into the recesses of her throat. He shuddered as she pulled him down to her; stroking her hands down his neck and back as the spasms ceased.

He left her body and settled next to her on his back with his eyes closed and panting. She twined her fingers in his as she panted to match him. He looked over and saw her chest rising and falling as she stared back at him. Rikku rolled onto her side and began to trace his facial features.

"You know I've always hated that eye patch," she smiled, "your eyes were always so beautiful."

"I always thought you thought it was rugged and manly."

"I always said that because I knew how the scars made you feel."

"Well then I won't wear it anymore," he rolled over kissing her deeply before pulling away and getting out of bed.

"And just wear are you going?" she asked as he began throwing clothes around. He didn't say anything as he dug in the pocket of his pants before crawling back into bed.

"One last thing," he smiled.

"What's that?" she asked. Gippal dangled the necklace above her, dragging the cool stone between her bare breasts.

"So Cid's Girl," he smiled, "You going to be my girl?"

Rikku smiled, "Yeah, I can be your girl." She rolled over and brushed her hair away as Gippal fastened the stone around her neck, and kissing the base of her neck where the closure sat.

"I'll never let you go again," he breathed as he rolled onto his back taking her with him where she rested her head on his chest.

"I'll hold you to that promise," she kissed him one last time, before she drifted off listening to the steady sound of his breathing. Gippal watched her awhile before soon falling asleep to the sight of her peaceful face.

~Fin~

Author's Note 2: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, I hope to begin new fanfictions soon 3


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